OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Get ready for the OCR GCSE Biology exam with our comprehensive quiz, featuring flashcards and multiple choice questions. Understand the exam format, key topics, and effective study strategies to excel.

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


What does the balanced symbol equation for photosynthesis represent?

  1. 6H2O + 6CO2 --> C6H12O6 + 6O2

  2. 6CO2 + 6O2 --> C6H12O6 + 6H2O

  3. 6CO2 + 6H2O --> C6H12O6 + 6O2

  4. C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6CO2 + 6H2O

The correct answer is: 6CO2 + 6H2O --> C6H12O6 + 6O2

The balanced symbol equation for photosynthesis, represented as 6CO2 + 6H2O --> C6H12O6 + 6O2, accurately reflects the chemical process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen in the presence of sunlight. In this equation, six molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2) combine with six molecules of water (H2O) to produce one molecule of glucose (C6H12O6) and six molecules of oxygen (O2). This representation highlights the role of light energy in driving the reaction, which occurs mainly in the chloroplasts of plant cells. The glucose produced serves as energy storage for the plant and can be used in respiration or converted into other organic compounds. The release of oxygen into the atmosphere is a crucial byproduct of this process, which is essential for the survival of aerobic organisms, including humans. Understanding this equation is fundamental in studying the energy transformation in ecosystems and the importance of photosynthesis in maintaining life on Earth.